South Africa may be one game away from a first World Cup final since 1995 but their head coach, Jake White, is being linked with the vacant jobs in Australia and Wales. White has been in charge of the Springboks since the last World Cup, but he has had to constantly battle with the South African Rugby Union and earlier this year there were suggestions he would be relieved of his post before the start of the tournament in France.
The three-man panel charged with finding Wales's next head coach flew to New Zealand yesterday to sound out the Canterbury Crusaders' coach, Robbie Deans, who is also a target for Australia, and the former director of rugby at Wasps and Ireland manager Warren Gatland, among others, but White is on their five-man shortlist.
Deans is Australia's leading target, but the assistant coach to John Mitchell in New Zealand's 2003 World Cup campaign is expected to apply for the post as the All Blacks coach after the news that Graham Henry's contract will not be renewed.
Last week, White recommended his technical adviser at the World Cup, the former Australia coach Eddie Jones, to Wales, while yesterday Jones said White would be the ideal man to take over from the Wallabies' head coach, John Connolly.
France have been left to count the cost of their victory over New Zealand, with a raft of players struggling with knocks in the run-up to Saturday's World Cup semi-final against England.
Ten players are nursing injuries sustained during Saturday's game, with scrumhalf Pierre Mignoni the most likely to miss out with a thigh strain.
